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Don Marenzi, Concept: A freelanced-prototype railroad in Alaska. Based on a route that was proposed and surveyed, but never built. The route runs north from port facilities on the Pacific Ocean to the Yukon River and serves various resource areas. The principle traffic consists of copper, zinc, coal, forest products and other minerals southbound; supplies, fuel and manufactured goods northbound. Facia mounted track diagrams and station names. Handout. 20% sceniced. Duckunder to enter the layout. Interchange with the rest of the North American rail system is by trainship and ocean going car barges. Off layout physical connections include the Alaska Railroad (actual), and a CP Rail owned branch in the Yukon (mythical). This allows ARR and CP power to appear on run through trains on the CP&W. The modeled section of the line represents the south end of the railroad, featuring a helper district as the route crosses the costal mountains into a resource rich wilderness area. The era is set during 1976, during the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Motive power is mostly 1st and 2nd generation EMD’s with some early ALCo power running out their last miles. The Layout: The layout is built in a 19 x 22 foot garage. HO scale, point to point, with a ten track stub end staging yard at each end. Walk around style, full double deck, around the walls, with a center peninsula. A helix connects the two levels. Entering the room, the current lower level duck-under will be replaced with a swing out; we’ll still have to nod-under the upper level. Track warrants are issued by a dispatcher located outside the layout room. FRS radios are used for communications. Control is by CVP’s EasyDCC wireless throttles with their current software. There are a few sound equipped locomotives on the layout. Operations: Each train operated has specific duties to perform, replicating ‘a day in the life’ of the CP&W, as if it were a prototype railroad. Car card / waybills are used for car routing. The waybills have a destination code (similar to real RR’s Clic or Spins codes), which helps train blocking, and is linked to each train’s instruction sheet. This simplifies the correct movement, pulling, spotting and blocking of cars, especially for new operators. The mainline has five towns, plus one additional passing siding between the two end staging yards. A branchline serves three additional towns. Two additional staging areas represent additional branch lines. Current Status: All mainline, passing sidings, staging, and most industrial trackage is complete. The final track work is being done in the smelter complex and mining related areas. Operating sessions have been occurring irregularly. Some ballasting and scenery has been started. revised 11/21/2008 |